Notre-Dame Cathedral Guided Tour Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris: eight centuries of history

Notre-Dame de Paris was begun in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and took nearly two centuries to complete. It stands on Île de la Cité, the island where Paris was born, and it has witnessed coronations, royal weddings and the liberation of the city in 1944.

In the 19th century Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame helped save the neglected building, and the architect Viollet-le-Duc restored it, adding the spire and many sculptures. On the square in front, a bronze star marks point zero, from which all road distances in France are measured.

The Gothic façade, portals and rose windows

The west façade is a textbook of Gothic art. Its three portals are carved with biblical stories: the Portal of the Virgin, the Portal of Saint Anne and, in the centre, the Last Judgment, where souls are weighed and sent to heaven or hell. Above them, the Gallery of Kings shows 28 statues of the kings of Judah.

The great west rose window, created around 1225, frames the Virgin and Child. Walking around the cathedral, your guide shows you the flying buttresses, the stone arms that let the walls rise so high, and the gargoyles and chimeras, which throw rainwater clear of the walls and guard the towers.

The 2019 fire and the restoration

On 15 April 2019 fire broke out in the roof, and the world watched as the spire collapsed. The medieval oak framework, nicknamed the forest, was destroyed, but the stone vaults largely held, and firefighters saved the towers and the treasures inside.

Over five years, carpenters, stonemasons and glassmakers rebuilt the roof and spire using traditional techniques and oak from French forests. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024, cleaner and brighter than anyone alive had seen it. Our guide explains what was lost, what was saved and how the restoration was done.

Visiting the interior: opening hours and practical tips

Entry to Notre-Dame Cathedral is free, but queues can be long. After the exterior tour, the guide takes you to the entrance and assists with the entry process; waiting time still depends on crowds and security. Inside, admire the soaring nave, the north and south rose windows and the restored chapels.

Opening hours change for services and events, so the cathedral may close at short notice. How to get to Notre-Dame: take metro line 4 to Cité or the RER B or C to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame. The best time to visit Notre-Dame is early morning or late afternoon on weekdays.